Re: Stupid SVideo Graphics Card question

["Keith Doxey" <ukha@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Dean Barrett" <dean@r...> wrote:
>
> My current and most cards i look at have SVideo as their TV out -
now comes
> the stupid question....
>
> Does SVideo carry audio as well ? - My only option i can see is to
get an
> SVideo to Scart lead, and then connection to an RF modulator to
get it into
> distribution amp.
>

Hi Dean,

An S-Video to SCART lead DOES NOT perform any signal converstion, it
merely presents the separate Luma and Chroma signals on the
appropriate pins of the SCART plug (in the same way as a 3.5mm
headphone jack to two phono audio lead) ie it is a physical
conversion rather than an electrical one. You need to mix it down to
Composite first, it may also be able to select a composite output or
it may come with an adapter that will do the mixdown for you.

S-Video is a video signal which is easy to mix down to composite
which is what you will need for feeding into a modulator.

You will have to take the stereo audio from the line out of your
sound card and mix it down to mono for feeding into the modulator as
well. (Some modulators have 2 audio sockets so you can feed the
stereo straight in but they then mix it down to mono audio
internally.)

That will work as a basic means of distribution but depending on
what you are displaying you will be VERY unhappy with quality.

Using RF or Composite I wouldnt try running above 640 x 480. Using S-
Video over KAT5 or similar you may get away with 800x600 depending
on the quality of the tube in the TV's.

The biggest problem is that the size of the phosphor dots (actually
usually stripes) is about 5-10 times the size of the dots on a good
quality monitor so although the signal may be capable of a
reasonable resolution, the display device may not be.

If you are going to LCD or Plasma then the display device should be
OK but you then need to keep the signal in the highest possible
format that you can rather than opting for the lowest by using RF.

Hope that helps

Keith